Changeable letter sign



March 24; 1931. 5. J. CALLENDER 1,7975322 gHANGEABLE: LETTER 51cm Filed Aug. 27, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 .27 7 1d :7 i 9' r 6W7 J5 A ggphn Jazzy-W4 wad -ivy S. J. CALLENDER CHANGEABLE LETTER SIGN Match 24, 1931.

Filed Au 27. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 24, 1931. s. ..l. CALLE\NDER CHANGEABLE LETTER S IGN Filed Aug. 27, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 a a 1 a a J a a a a J a 14 505227 JflZZZeWerjaoe Patented Mar. 24, 1931 A :"UNITED. S TE PATENT: f I

STEPHENE'J'. OALIiENDER, or WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS i oH A veEABLE LETTER slew;

Application filed August 27, 1929.;Seria1 No. 3ss,sa9.

"15'i-ng Aup'the' characters and locating them in A the proper position on'the sign and to, provide various improvements in the several features of COllStIllCtlOIlj Otherobjects and advantages of'thein- '20 ventionwill,appcarh Reference'is to be: had to the 1 g' drawi g i r c A A Figi l 'is' a front elevation of a sign constructed in accordance with this invention;

accompany 2 is an end elevation thereof;

Fig .;3'-is a horizontal sectional view showing the parts in the act of being drawn out 'of-thesign; Figg t is'a sectional view of the letter frame on the line-l-kl of Fig. 3; I

' Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a preferred form of the letter franie showing 1 the means for attaching the letters and means for locating them A r Fig. 6 is a'front elevation of the letter frame and of the guiding means in position and without any letters. The front fabric or f'parchment surface of the letter frame is broken away at two corners showing the interior" construction;

1 Fig. ,7 is an elevation of the electric lightingsystem;" f

A A Figs. '8 and 9 are sectional views like Fig. :4

.5 showing modifications; A, .7

10 is arear elevationof one of the letters l attached: as shown in Fig. 9;

fFigs; 11 and 13. are sectional views like Fi g. 15 showing: further modifications;

Fig. 12- is .an'clevatiohiof the means for spacedapart; a'firmsupport is'provided for the' letters orcharacters2l.

locating the letters whenthey are put on in the form shown in Fig. 11; and

Fig. 14 is a frontview of a letter attached as shown in Fig'.'13. A 1 This sign is intended for places in whichfss the letters or characters are changed frequently and one of the principalfeatures thereof is to provide for removing or replacing the characters in a simple and convenient manner. The sign isformed,l as indicatedfio especially in Figs. 1, 2A and 3, in the'form of a rectangular box or casing 10 h'avingiopen- I ings 11 in one "end ,which maybe )veather tightfor outdoor use. Through these open- A'ings are introducedtwo frames, a frame 12 '65 for thecharacters and a frame 13--for,the lights. This frame 133s shownin 7 and the details thereof (10.11011 constitute a feature oflthis, invention except that it shows N the lights 14 arrangedsymmetrically in this framej13 and provided with a usual plug '15 or other electrical connection "so thatthe lightis distributed uniformly in the casing '10 behind the rame 121- These two frames are removable as-shown inxFig. 3 but the light frame has tobe' removed only for the replacing of the lamps. ,The front-of the casing or housing 10 is open except' fori a sheet 16 of glass or; other translucentior transparent material; over; the front of the sign and through which thechara cters can A be seen. 1

The frame l2 preferab'ly ispprovide d with a rectangular framed? inside to which are secured twoordinary wire screens 18 and 19, A the latter beingcovered by a fabric pape'ror I parchmentQO if desired.- These two screens A areof the ordinary window screen or mos-- quito screen character, of woven wire which 7 maybe fine square mesh or any other form as may be desiredf These two jscreens are separated a distanceequal to the 'width of the frame 17and on account of their being I In the :formshown inFig. 5, whichis the preferred form, these characters are of opaque solid. materialand mayv be of thin sheet formand one or more headed nails or pins-22 are" insertedthrough-them in an inm I acter. and two screens are necessary in this case.

clined direction with their heads at the front of the characters. The characters are located in place and the nails put through the two screens at an inclination as shown in that figure. In this position they obviously hold the characters against dropping out or displacement. One nailis putthrough if the character has-only onethin portion atthe top, as in the case of the letter I, but'if it has a horizontalportion at the top or two up ward projections, as shown in 2 the letters S; G and N in Fig. 1, two nails are inserted. The letters are provided with inclined'perforations for this purpose and the nails can be inserted after the letters are in place on the. front screen 19.

It will be obvious that there are only very small wires in the way and the nails can be put through, no matter: Wherethe letters are placed, with only a possible slight: displacement. This provides a-firm anchorage with the nails heldin-position at two pointsat a distance from each other. The contact of the character along. its backwith the surface of the screen also assistsinpreventing dislodgment of the nails themselves, the nails being inserted and the characters hanging down by gravity and-acting to pull the. free ends of the. nails-up against. the. wiresjust above in therear screen.- a p In the form shown in Fig. .8 only? one screen 19'is employed. This is possible inthisease because the-character 31 is ofsuclrthickness that when the naiLpasses-through it its-position will be fixed'by thethick character: of the letter itself and the nail cannot. get.- out of its inclined position. However, thissis not such afirm anchorage.

In the form shown-in Figs. 9 and 10, in-

steadof passing the nail. 22v through the character, the latter. isprovided with a-hook .24; extending up from the rear sideeand'securely fastened; in the character when the nailis introducechthrough the eye 25 in-the hook. In thisicase the t'op of the-character 26 isslanted off atfltheangleyat. which.- the nail is to be inserted. 1

In the form shown in Fig: 11.- a different fastening device is'showni in the-form. of a tack or; thumb'tack '27 which passes through thescreen 19' into thebody of the "character 21. from-the opposite-side- In Figs 13 and His shown. the form in which fastening pins 28 of L-shapedcharacter are introduced into two depressions locatedin alignment in the-edges ofthe'char- These pins are capable of swinging For the purpose of locatingthe letters I have shown a plate 82chaving a ledge for supporting the bottom of the characters 21 to insure that these characters will be in alignment. These plates 32; are provided with studs 33 in their. ends which. fit in notches 34 arranged at regular intervals in the-frame 'while thetack 12. The stud on one end of the plate 32 is stationar but a spring stud 35 or, at least a removable one, is located on the other end to release the plate from the notches and allow it to be removed or placed in a different position.

When the fastening device 2.7 ,shown in Figs; 11 and 12,iis employed the plate 32 is replaced by a frame 36 which has two cross bars, one at the top and one at the bottom. 'Dhe'top oneisrequiredto: serve as a resisting member to press the character 21 against,

27 is forced in from the other side, V

It will be seen that these frames or plates constitute means for. supportingthe: bottoms of the charactersandthatthey are necessarily placed, horizontally on account. of, the notches or pins" and the line of:characters therefore is locate'dhorizontally.without any; trouble. This, of. course, is; done? when the frame. 12. is drawn out of. theicasing 10 E and this frame is then pushed backand. th sign is completed. f

In. the formsv shown, theletters or charactersofthe sign are. easily located. in position and held there againstaccidentahdisplacement for. any: desired length, of. time. The-letters are noteasily moved. out ofplace accidentally; but they are ,very. easily removed whenit is desired to .d'oso.

Although Ifhave-illustrated and described only a few forms of the1invention-I am.-aware of the factthat. other modificationsman be made therein by any. person skillediinrthex:

. artwithout departing from; thesoope of z the invention as expressediir'ithe claims. Therefore, I do not wishtozbe-limitedin this respect but" what I. do claim isa- 1. Ina sign, the combination-witha casing,'.;105 a removable frame therein, said frame; having' a verticaL screen, chanacters-=on the face of said screen and fastening devices.ex-tend ingfthrough the characters and screen to hold them inposition, ofasecond frame re movablycarried by said casing and having a series of-electric. lamps supported: thereby, spaced. uniformly in. an area behind. said screen and Wiring for said; electric lamps.

2.. Inza sign, the-combination of aacasing, at .115 removable frame therein, a: screen. carried, by said frame, characters. adapted to be mounted on the..fac.e. of. said screen said frame having oppositev notches, and. aplate provided with studs adapted. to. Sec1J.-re the. plate in the notches to constitute a guide-for use in the placing of'the characters in proper position on thescreen.

3. In a sign, the combination ofa frame,.a screen carried by said frame, characters adapted to-be mounted onthe; face of said screen, said frame having opposite notches, and a plate provided with studs adapted to secure the plate in the notches, said plate constituting a guide for the placing'of the characters in proper position on the screen,

said plate havingan upper bar across near the top thereof and said fastening devices for the letters extending through. the screen Iigrom the rear Within the area of said upper 4. As an article ,of manufacture, a sign comprising a pair of screens spaced apart, a character adapted to be located on the front of the screens andfpins pivotally mounted on the opposite edges of said characters and adapted to be inserted through the meshes .of the two screens to hold the characters in position. I or r 1 7 5. In a sign, the combination of a frame,.a

pair of screens spaced apart and supported by said frame, opaque-characters on the front of the front screen, fastening devices extend- 7 .ing at an inclination through both screens and the opaque characters and removable from all of them, and illuminating means behind the other screen. i

In testimony whereof I have hereunto gafiixed my signature.

7 STEPHEN J. CALLENDER. 

